York Guildhall served as the city’s seat of governance for over 600 years. When the City of York Council confirmed its relocation in 2012, securing the site’s future became a key concern for the city. The principal aim of this retrofit project was to provide enriched and inclusive spaces for members of the local community to use as part of the city’s future legacy.

The project adapted to new ways of working on-site to ensure the efficient delivery of the refurbishment. Collaboration underpinned the success of the project and Arup worked across various teams to take a proactive approach to problem solving.

Furthermore, our conservation architecture team designed a new glass lobby, transforming a disused yard between York Guildhall and an adjacent listed building. This transparent structure spans an irregular space with no structural connections on either side. Additional minimalist elements are hidden behind medieval stone buttresses in a distinctive fanning arrangement to optimise the space. 

A building fit for the future

York Guildhall is made up of Grade I, II* and II-listed buildings, with much of the complex being underused due to its poor condition and layout.

Working with City of York Council, we supported the refurbishment of York Guildhall to redefine its role in the city’s future. Central to York’s identity, the restored guildhall offers an abundance of community spaces, offices, and a new home for York University – operated by York Science Park.

Combining newbuild spaces with the restored historic structures, our team was central to its reimagination, securing the future of this landmark building through retrofit and redesign. 

Transforming the historic structure

A sensitive balance was struck to both preserve York Guildhall’s heritage and modernise the existing buildings. While undertaking the archaeological dig of the building’s north annexe, we uncovered remains of the old friary that was known to be located on the site, along with a graveyard.

Working with the archaeologists the team agreed a scheme of investigation, protection and amendments to the proposed substructure to allow adjacent works to continue, therefore minimising the impact on the project. 

Working with City of York Council, Arup supported the refurbishment of the building to reimagine its role in the city’s future

Digital tools for conservation

Matterport scanning, a process that captures spatial data and images to create a 3D model, was used to capture the condition of the building before construction and again before tenant handover. This gave the City of York Council a comprehensive and detailed view of the buildings and was invaluable in allowing the entire design team to connect with site remotely.

The use of photogrammetry provided further 3D imagery to fully capture, record and solve the structural alterations required. After discovering a significant historical element embedded in the structure's foundation, our team was able to utilise this technology to ensure the historic fabric was preserved. By capturing and processing these images, we could collaborate at a high level of detail with team members who were unable to see the issues first hand. 

Contributing to York’s future 

The restoration of York Guildhall supports a new, sustainable future for the city. Alongside the works focused on retaining and repurposing the existing buildings, we were able to incorporate innovation throughout many aspects of the redesign to ensure the refurbishment’s longevity. Using our experience with complex projects, we could quickly adapt the retrofit of some structural elements as the project progressed, ultimately prioritising the preservation of the site’s heritage.

The result is a stunning contemporary solution where the elegance and apparent simplicity of the engineering belies the complexity, and allows the existing heritage to shine through

David Warburton

Head of Regeneration and Project Delivery, City of York Council

This was particularly evident in our approach to addressing significant active movement within the building. As the stabilisation of the tower was one of the council’s key objectives, we ensured that the extensive underpinning and aboveground modifications were carried out sensitively with comprehensive monitoring throughout all stages of installation. 

The combined environmental and social value of the project is reflective of our commitment to York and its surrounding communities. Drawing on our work, York Guildhall continues the next chapter of its long history, intrinsically bound to the area’s governance, commerce, education, and cultural heritage. 

Burrell Foley Fischer LLP / Turner & Townsend Partners LLP